I've decided I'm going to try my hand at modding with this game's construction set. I've never modded a Bethesda game before, but as a game development major, I do have experience with the Neverwinter Knights 2 Toolset and and have used UDK and the Kismet tool within. I'll be learning about scripting next semester as well. I believe some Skyrim mods will look good on my portfolio. Some of my mod ideas are:

Shape Shifting Magic-Turn into various creatures of the game, such as bears, sabre cats, regular wolves,etc.. I'm hoping that I'll be able to find out how Bethesda handled werewolf transformations through the kit and will be able to recycle that method for this idea.
Demon Summoning-Adds some demon themed summons to the game. Perfect for players wishing to play a warlock themed character.
Clockwork/Steamwork Expansion -Would contain some clockwork themed armor and weapons, as well as some mechanical summons. Dwemer Centurions would be added as summons, but I'm also thinking of clockwork birds, small steam powered dragon constructs, motorized horses. I think it'd also be cool to add a spell similar to the zombie spells that would turn defeated enemies into mechanical servants.
Airship Home-An airship in the sky that also serves a home. If you've seen the Dwemer Skyship mod for Oblivion, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Utter Destruction Magic-Adds some flashy and (probably game breaking) powerful destruction spells. Meteor strikes, fire whirlwinds, blizzard summonings,etc.

I'm not committing any of these to stone yet, so please don't hold your breath. I have no idea how limited by the toolset and my skills I will be, and I'd hate to leave someone bitterly disappointed.

That being said, what do you guys think? Does any one of my ideas sound like something you'd download? Anything you might like to see in any particular idea? Would anyone be willing to work with me on any of these mod ideas? Do any of you long time modders have any suggestions on getting started? Which of these ideas sound the easiest to implement? Which would be hardest? I realize I may be over my head, but I'm willing to learn.
Thank you for your feedback.

I support clockworkslashsteamwork and airships, 'cause dwemer.

How about some weather changing spells? It would go great with a needs mod that included hypothermia.

Might make for a good practice mod if you mean using the regular weather that's already in the game. Otherwise It might be cool to add some damaging weather to Utter Destruction. Molten Lead Storm anyone?

Clockwork/Steamwork stuff and airships are NOT high fantasy. Just saying.

The rest sounds good but need to be expanded upon much more beyond magic stuff. High fantasy should have absolutely stunningly beautiful elves. Our elves, as was in Morrowind, are really demented looking... Orcs are PERFECT this time but need a bit more oomph I think.

We need overdone and terribly fabulous armor and weapons to get the high fantasy rolling too. Big chunky pauldrons, near-nvde sorceress robes, wizard hats...

Ok here is what you should do: Get oblivion, install the mod midas magic, play it, get great inspiration, look at its code, create something similar for skyrim eventually combining all your ideas, become famous.

I think I would download all of these, they sound too cool! I love high fantasy stuff, and NWN and NWN2 were some of my favorite games, Forgotten Realms as a whole is a great setting.

Especially would download the Demon summoning, perfect for my Breton Warlock (I RP him as primarlily a Daedra summoner utilizing an Infernal Pact with Clavicus Vile).

You said what I clicked on this topic to say-- high fantasy is NOT Difference Engine/Bas Lug/Steampunk. The Elder Scrolls as a whole is pretty much pure High Fantasy from start to finish. Which might explain why I love The Witcher series so much, since I love gritty-[censored], down-in-the-trenches books like Glen Cook, Steven Erikson, I.C. Esslemont, Richard K. Morgan (Land Fit For Heroes), Joe Abercrombie, Paul Kearney, etc.


Personally I like the f'd up elves. Elves are supposed to be non human, and if you go back to the Fey Folk and other mythological representations... they were pretty, cruel, and just Not Human.


That I definitely agree with. For a true high fantasy you need some ridiculously impossible armor, although in the near-nvde you're going more sword-and-sorcery rather than high fantasy.

Oh god. I think my beard just grew like a foot right now...

I'd honestly download and use almost every single one of what you mentioned.

Why yes, I did love summoning a Balrog and calling down a meteor shower.
OK, so maybe constructs and flying ships don't belong in the "high fantasy" subgenre of fantasy, but it is still fantasy(tech fantasy perhaps?).

I got the idea for the construct expansion from a relatively obscure tabletop RPG called Dragonmech. I recommend checking it out if you don't mind mixing some mecha with your D&D.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=1202

Nah, I like me some Bas Lug in my Tolkien. I just like the words and what they mean. I'm a sad nerd who tends to set certain things into certain categories. I actually like BOTH (although the gritty and the steampunk are something I like more).

I just dislike fantasy as a genre label since there's so many differences

If we could kick an Iron Council in Riften I'd be really happy

You're most welcome.

Now, don't get me wrong... Steampunk stuff is pretty neat but it's not typically something I'd like to see in a TES game outside of dwemer tech... Now, if you want to expand on dwemer artifacts and constructs I'd say go for it...

Not getting into the genre names (I'm always happy with sword & sorcery-with-pretty-fair-folk-and-steampunk...), but I love these ideas.

The spell lists in particular feel like they need as much expanding as possible. Skyrim does feel a little confined in overall fantasy scope in comparison to Morrowind or a bunch of tabletop RPGs that come to mind.